Today’s world is a busy one, but at Publix, we’re never too busy to say thank you. By the end of the year, Publix’s leaders will collectively pay a visit to each store and support location throughout our company to show their appreciation for you.
Before Associate Appreciation Visits (AAV) became a formal tradition in the 1970s, Mr. George would often visit stores and work locations to meet associates and express his gratitude. Today, our leaders continue the tradition to thank associates for their hard work, hear their feedback about Publix and ideas for improvement, and answer questions about the company.
Many associates look forward to AAVs, but so do our leaders. We asked Vice Chairman Barney Barnett for his thoughts on why AAVs are important to him.
“These visits are important because they give me the chance to meet and show my appreciation for some of our associates who each play an important part in the success of our company,” said Barney. “And, as our company continues to grow, it’s important for leaders to learn about our associates — what they do, where they’re from and where they started.”
This year will be Barney’s 31st consecutive year doing visits. Over the years, he has enjoyed meeting associates from all over our company and thanking them for the great work they do. And this year has been no different.
If your work location hasn’t hosted a visiting leader yet, look for a poster with the date and time of your appreciation visit, as well as information about and a picture of the visiting leader. Each work location should receive the posters at least two weeks prior to their scheduled visit.
